After clarifying the misunderstanding, the woman finally realized her mistake and immediately lost interest in the two of them.
The doubt in her eyes faded, and her previously questioning attitude turned casual.
Although the man before her, who appeared to be a formal wizard, seemed rather strange not only had he not learned any flying spells, but he also lacked a proper flying device, relying instead on an ancient suit of armor to traverse the Reed Marsh she didn't intend to dig any deeper.
Her only curiosity lay in how this armor had managed to connect to her communication network.
At that moment, her gaze unintentionally swept across the chest of the armor, and the severely worn-out emblem caught her attention.
Initially, the emblem was so damaged that she hadn't even noticed it.
But now, something suddenly clicked in her mind. As she took another look at it, the more she examined it, the more it resembled what she was thinking of…
Her heartbeat suddenly accelerated, and a flicker of shock and excitement flashed through her eyes.
"That emblem! Could it be…"
Her thoughts were instantly pulled in by this familiar insignia, as if she had stumbled upon an important clue.
Her heart pounded wildly, and she couldn't help but move closer to the armor, eyes fixed on the worn-out emblem as she circled it.
Because of the intimidating presence of this so-called "formal wizard," she refrained from directly laying hands on the armor and instead maintained a certain distance, choosing to communicate amicably.
"Don't misunderstand, I mean no harm. I just want to take a closer look at the structure of this armor..."
Hearing this, Lynn was slightly taken aback and responded,
"You recognize this armor? This was something my junior companion stumbled upon by chance..."
Lynn briefly explained the circumstances of how they found the armor, hoping to clear up any potential misunderstandings and avoid unnecessary hostility.
The woman continued circling the armor, her eyes filled with unconcealed fascination, making Lynn a bit wary.
She seemed extremely curious about its structure, and if it weren't for the fact that Lynn was gripping the armor tightly while emanating the energy signature of a formal wizard, she might have already taken both the armor and Darwin onto her flying vessel and left.
Finally, after some time, she took a deep breath, as if forcing herself to stay calm. She looked at Darwin with a hint of urgency in her voice:
"Apologies for my rudeness... I just want to ask, when you found this armor, was there anything unusual inside?"
By now, Lynn had somewhat realized what was going on.
Rather than treating them as enemies, this woman seemed more like someone who had discovered something valuable.
And recalling what Darwin had told him earlier that once the armor was repaired and they reached Nightmare Rift, a wizard would take Darwin as an apprentice
A thought flashed through Lynn's mind: could this woman know that wizard?
He didn't think she was the wizard in question, as her reactions seemed far too exaggerated for that.
Darwin, now reassured that the woman wasn't an enemy, relaxed and reverted to his usual carefree self. Without hesitation, he enthusiastically recounted the entire story of how he had found the armor.
At this moment, the woman seemed to confirm her suspicions. She clapped her hands together, exclaiming excitedly:
"Then there's no doubt about it!"
Realizing she had gotten carried away, she coughed lightly, adjusted her demeanor, and continued:
"You're heading to Nightmare Rift, right? I happen to be going that way. Would you like a ride? I can also tell you the story behind this armor."
Her attitude had shifted so drastically that even though Lynn sensed no malice and she was offering a kind gesture, he still wanted to ask a few more questions out of caution.
However, before he could speak, the woman suddenly stiffened, her expression turning serious.
"Wait! My ship's alarm just triggered there's a high-energy lifeform rapidly approaching! Energy readings indicate it's at least a Second-Level wizard."
After saying this, she quickly returned to her flying vessel and activated the communication system to check the details. A moment later, her voice came through the ship's speakers:
"The black-robed wizard... he's from Furnace Stone, a Second-Level wizard. But this is strange why is he charging toward us with such killing intent?"
She murmured in confusion, but her words made both Lynn and Darwin's eyes widen in shock.
At that moment, they both had the same thought there was no doubt that this black-robed wizard was coming for them.
Lynn didn't have time to worry about being cautious anymore. He immediately interrupted the woman and said,
"Alright, let's go now before anything happens!"
The woman's eyes flickered slightly as if understanding the situation.
Her expression remained unchanged, but she calmly waved them over.
"Get on! I'll take you guys for a ride!"
Click!
The ship's hatch swiftly sealed with a crisp sound.
Then, with a deafening roar, the flying vessel shot forward like a meteor, carving a graceful arc across the sky.
Meanwhile, the black-robed wizard charged in, seething with rage.
But as he watched the flying vessel disappear into the horizon like a streaking comet, he could do nothing but grit his teeth and curse furiously:
"Damn it! Where the hell did this Mechanical City wizard come from?!"
He had been chasing that wanted wizard for over half a month, and he had finally closed in.
Yet, at the last moment, a mechanical wizard had unexpectedly interfered and taken them away!
Cursing aside, he had no intention of giving up. Without stopping, he continued his relentless pursuit, pushing his speed to the limit as he chased after the flying vessel.
............
The interior of the aircraft was not cramped; on the contrary, it exuded a warm and spacious atmosphere.
Lynn and Darwin were currently seated on a soft sofa, looking around.
The space was more than just a mode of transport it had a bed, a dining table, bookshelves, and a desk, making it resemble a small living quarters.
The most eye-catching feature was a suit of armor placed near the cockpit, which was, in all likelihood, Martha's equipment.
At this moment, Martha was sitting in the cockpit, focused on piloting the aircraft. As she pushed the throttle to its limit, the aircraft shot forward like an arrow.
Fortunately, none of the passengers inside were ordinary people. Even the only mortal, Darwin, was protected by the armor.
The aircraft continued to fly steadily for over twenty minutes. Only after completely escaping the sensing range of the Second-Level wizard did Martha leave the cockpit and walk toward Lynn and Darwin.
Despite her departure, the aircraft maintained its flight path, indicating that it had an autopilot function.
Martha smiled slightly, then casually sat cross-legged on the floor, unconcerned about whether the posture was ladylike or not.
Looking at the two, she spoke directly:
"I'm Martha. How did you end up provoking the people of Furnace Stone? They're not easy to deal with."
Lynn was just about to speak, but Darwin eagerly jumped in first:
"Martha, big sister! We ran into a battle between Furnace Stone and the Falling Star Council in the Atlas Mountains… That guy was there to silence us!"
Martha raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"Furnace Stone? Falling Star Council? I don't know whether to say you're lucky or unlucky. Two formidable factions clashing like that… in a way, it gave you the chance to escape."
She started chatting with Darwin, and the atmosphere quickly lightened.
Meanwhile, Lynn narrowed his eyes slightly, unfazed by Martha seemingly ignoring him, a "formal wizard."
In truth, he knew that the only reason he was allowed on this formal wizard's aircraft was likely because of Darwin.
And thanks to Darwin's proactive explanation, he had successfully diverted attention away from the true reason for Furnace Stone's pursuit.
However, only Lynn himself knew that Furnace Stone was not trying to eliminate witnesses far more likely, they had come specifically for him.
"That otherworldly creature was so useless… It got taken down by Furnace Stone way too fast. I thought it could hold them off for a while…"
Recalling his recent escape, Lynn couldn't help but feel a lingering sense of fear. He had pushed forward without a moment's rest, knowing that if he had been even slightly slower, he would have already fallen into the hands of that Second-Level wizard from Furnace Stone.
At his current level, he was practically invincible among apprentices and could even hold his own against some formal wizards. Survival wouldn't be an issue in such a fight.
But against a Second-Level wizard? He'd stand no chance. Certain death.
"You don't have to worry, though! Once we reach Mechanized City, forget a Second-Level wizard even Furnace Stone's Morning Star wizards wouldn't dare touch you!"
Martha patted her chest with confidence, her tone full of certainty.
Nightmare Rift contained multiple neutral cities, and Mechanized City was one of them also their current destination.
Lynn turned to Martha and frowned slightly before asking:
"Martha, does the armor Darwin picked up have any special background?"
At the mention of the armor, Darwin immediately perked up.
After all, it was the information hidden inside the armor that had convinced him to leave home, travel through mountains and rivers, and endure countless dangers to reach this place.
"That's a masterpiece of the Warhammer Master!"
Martha's expression lit up with excitement, a hint of pride in her voice.
"The Warhammer Master once publicly announced that he had deliberately damaged some of his early creations and scattered them into the outside world. Anyone who could repair them and bring them back would be accepted as his apprentice! The Warhammer Master is a big deal in Mechanized City becoming his disciple is practically an instant rise to the top!"
Hearing this, Lynn's eyes flickered slightly.
Was Darwin about to be accepted as the Warhammer Master's disciple?
"A figure like that wouldn't go back on their word. Darwin is essentially set for life now…"
However, Lynn wasn't envious of Darwin. He had his path to follow.
Being able to piggyback off Darwin's fortune to enter Nightmare Rift ahead of schedule was already a great benefit.
His plan was simple: once inside Mechanized City, he would focus entirely on breaking through to become a formal wizard.
Only as a true formal wizard would he have the freedom to act as he pleased. Right now, he was relying on his disguise as Yfgríd to pass as one, which still left him feeling somewhat uneasy.
Moreover, he noticed that Martha had no intention of stealing Darwin's armor or impersonating the disciple herself.
That made sense when it came time for the Warhammer Master to officially accept disciples, he would undoubtedly conduct thorough examinations, including memory verification and tests.
If someone tried to cheat their way in, they would be exposed instantly and the consequences of offending such a powerful figure would be disastrous.
Most likely, Martha was just trying to secure a connection with Darwin, seeing him as a rising star worth aligning with…
"By the way, Martha, earlier you mentioned something about an assessment and a team. Won't taking us straight to Nightmare Rift interfere with that?"
Lynn suddenly recalled her earlier words and asked.
Martha waved a hand dismissively, unconcerned.
"I'm escorting the Warhammer Master's future student to Mechanized City what could be more important than that? Those wizard apprentices aren't toddlers; they won't die that easily. It's fine, don't worry!"
"Speaking of which, do you two drink? I've set the aircraft to max speed, and we should arrive in Mechanized City in about ten hours right on schedule for midnight."
As she spoke, she walked to the dining area, grabbed a few glasses and a chilled bottle of alcohol, and began pouring drinks for herself and the two men.
Lynn's eyelid twitched at the sight, astonished.
This aircraft even had a refrigerator?
These mechanical wizards knew how to enjoy life!
Thinking back to his time at Spirit Eye Furnace, he had never seen such convenient devices before.
Compared to this, mechanical wizards seemed to be living in a futuristic era, while Spirit Eye Furnace felt stuck in the Middle Ages.
Then again, it was also possible that Spirit Eye Furnace had such things too, and he simply hadn't reached a high enough level to see them…
Meanwhile, Darwin, brimming with curiosity about Mechanized City and the Warhammer Master, eagerly spoke up.
"Martha, big sister, can you tell us about Mechanized City?"
Martha, ever accommodating toward Darwin, smiled as she took a sip of her drink and began narrating.
"Mechanized City, as the name suggests, was originally a gathering place for mechanical wizards."
"In the beginning, it was exclusively populated by mechanical wizards, with the entire city shaped by their technology and philosophies."
Lynn listened intently, his understanding of this place gradually becoming clearer.
Mechanical wizards were a unique faction among wizards, specializing in the fusion of technology and magic.
As Martha continued her tale, both Lynn and Darwin gained deeper insights into the Mechanized City.
Over time, as more outside wizards arrived, the city grew increasingly diverse. It was no longer an exclusive domain of mechanical wizards.
Now, within Mechanized City, one could encounter all sorts of wizards black wizards, white wizards, elemental wizards, and even some completely unheard-of factions.
Despite the multitude of influences, the city remained steadfastly neutral.
It did not favor black wizards over white wizards or vice versa; all factions had space to exist.
The city was a chaotic yet balanced hub, home to many powerful forces, but all had to abide by its rules.
Compared to the remote Three Nations region where Lynn had previously lived, Mechanized City was on an entirely different level of prosperity.
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